


Too Nice A Jump to Rush

by Sare_K



Series: Assemble: Or How the Avengers Learned They Could Have Lives AND Save the World [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2014-05-27
Packaged: 2018-01-26 20:15:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1701140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sare_K/pseuds/Sare_K
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While James is away Darcy goes through his stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Nice A Jump to Rush

Darcy woke up early after a restless sleep to find an empty bed and a somewhat unfamiliar room. It took her a moment to remember that this was James’ room in the apartment he shared with Steve. After the little incident where they sexed her front door to death she’d insisted that Stark renovate her entire apartment. She didn’t think that he would take the request seriously. He did. With an apartment full of drywall and dust and sweaty workmen Darcy had been forced to take up residence elsewhere. She’d had a choice between bunking with Jane and shacking up with James. She chose the latter, mostly because Thor was due for a visit and Stark hadn’t fulfilled any of the requests to soundproof Dr. Foster’s apartment. Also, there was the added bonus of waking up to a super soldier in varying states of undress on a daily basis.

Today, however, Darcy woke up alone. James had left for a mission with Steve a week ago and was due to return any day. He and Steve had left her the keys and told her to make herself at home. Which she had, reprogramming their DVR and stocking their usually Spartan kitchen with all of the things she liked. This particular morning she looked around and took in her surroundings. She hadn’t really noticed James’ room much. To be honest, she spent most of her time there focused on one of two things: James or sleep. This was the first time she’d had a good look at the man she was seeing and it fascinated her.

It turned out that when first James, then Steve, had disappeared, Howard Stark took it upon himself to store their belongings for them, just in case. Actually, it had been Steve who had stored James’ belongings, with the intention of returning them to his sister, but the Barnes family never claimed them and Howard kept them with Steve’s things. About six months after his deprogramming Stark and Steve decided to give James his stuff back, partially to help jog his memory, partially to make his room look more like a home than a jail cell. He had accepted the gift gratefully, turning each item over as he attempted to link it to some long lost memory. In the end he’d sent most of it back, claiming that he wasn’t ready yet. He probably wasn’t. Tony and Steve hadn’t questioned it.

What fascinated Darcy were the things that he had kept: an old Dodgers pennant, personal items like cufflinks, things that had belonged to his father, a baseball from a game that he’d gone to with Steve, a few records. What fascinated Darcy more were the things he’d collected in his time at Avengers Tower: a Polaroid camera, a record player, a few books, a couple of movies. He liked movies with women like Lauren Bacall or Myrna Loy in them. Strong, feisty women. He said that’s what he liked best about Darcy, that she reminded him of those women from the pictures he’d loved so much.

The room itself was plain. When Darcy moved in to her apartment she had immediately gotten to work adding bits of herself to the décor. She painted, bought furniture (well, _Tony_ bought the furniture), made every inch of the space her own. Apart from the few mementos from his past and the things he’d collected in the present, there was very little of James in the room itself. He didn’t hang anything on the walls. The bedclothes were drab and nondescript. His furniture looked like it belonged in any hotel. In short, it was a room devoid of any personality.

Darcy spent a good hour or so psychoanalyzing her lover’s room. In fact, she became so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the door open, not realizing that she wasn’t alone until she was swept up, sheets and all, by a pair of strong arms.

“You know, if you were anyone else I’dve killed you for looking in my things,” James said with a smirk. Darcy laughed.

“I was merely observing that you hadn’t really done anything with the place,” she replied, kissing him hello. James held her for a long moment, then set her down on the bed and began to take off his clothes.  “Slowly, slowly,” Darcy said. “It’s too nice a jump to rush.”

James cocked his head, a little confused. “No jumping this morning, darlin’,” he said. “Not exactly running on all cylinders.” He laid down on the bed next to her, taking her into his arms. “Mmmm. Missed you.”

Darcy kissed the inside of his wrist. “Missed you too.” They stayed like that, cuddling quietly, for a long moment.

“Why were you looking through my things?” James asked.

“Honestly?” Darcy said. “I was thinking that there wasn’t much of you here.”

“So?” James asked.

“So you should make your mark on your home.”

“You mean Steve’s home,” James scoffed.

“Well, then maybe you should make your own home,” Darcy said.

“Where?” James asked.

“With me,” Darcy said, sitting up and looking him right in the eye. “You should come live with me.”

“Really?” he said. “What brought this on?”

Darcy shrugged. “Figured it was time. It’s not like you spend much time here anyway.”

James nodded. “That why you had Stark renovate your apartment?”

Darcy looked away and cuddled up closer. “Possibly.”

James laughed. “Fine, but I get some creative input.”

Darcy sat up. “Meaning?”

“Meaning it can’t look like a rainbow threw up in there.”

He ducked as she threw a pillow at his head.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, that line (and the title) comes straight from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
> 
> Also, I'm starting to post my work to my new Tumblr. And by new, I mean so freaking new there's only one post and no real format to it. So follow me on sare-k.tumblr.com!


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